


first and second impressions

by towokuwusatsuwu



Category: HiGH&LOW: the Story of S.W.O.R.D. (TV)
Genre: Apologies, Established Relationship, First Impressions, Gender Dysphoria, Kissing, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Solidarity, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-22 07:44:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15577110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/towokuwusatsuwu/pseuds/towokuwusatsuwu
Summary: the mighty warriors hardly have a positive reputation on the nameless street after how many times they've clashed with the rude boys. ice sends pearl and bernie on a mission and they meet smokey's second-in-commands, giving them a chance to smooth things over.





	first and second impressions

Ice gave them strict orders to behave given their reputation on the Nameless Street, taking them aside while the members of Prison Gang loaded the boxes into their cars. They needed to take two; Ice had shoved stacks of bills into their hands with the express order to buy as much as they could find in good condition, and that expenses hardly mattered with how much money the Funk Jungle was rolling in these days. Not having to bar the people from S.W.O.R.D. naturally meant they made more money every night they were open, a perk to their new alliance.

Not that Bernie has seen any shred of this alliance so far other than Cobra and Murayama coming to visit the Funk Jungle, hearing talk of Smokey coming to see Nakamon and Mocai. He isn’t sure how much he believes of the second story, not sure he can reconcile such intimidating men with the sweet kittens Jesse laid them out to be in his retelling. He knows Ice goes to hang out with the other leaders when he has free nights, but things have been slow so far because so few of the members of S.W.O.R.D. are not holding grudges against the Mighty Warriors, their numerous clashes leaving a bad taste in the mouths of their opponents.

Honestly, the money is what keeps them moving from one place to the next, nothing more and nothing less, so there is never anything personal to be found in any of their battles. Bernie knows a few faces himself, mostly the leaders because of Ice, but he can hardly remember anyone else, so how would he be able to track them down specifically to hurt them? But Ice had been firm about this, that they needed to smooth over the problems they had with the Nameless Street, and with the winter coming, this was an easy way to do that.

Driving up to the Nameless Street in the middle of the day with clothes packed into every square centimeter of his car but Bernie can’t continue the way his leg jumps from excitement just the same, the thought they might be able to smooth things over and maybe make a few friends along the way appealing to him. Truth be told, Ice has been unbearable; having all these hot guys to himself should be illegal, not that Bernie minds too much. Pearl would be enough for him if Pearl ever told him he wanted to settle down, just the two of them.

Pearl climbs out of his car first and Bernie savors the sight of him under the sunlight before he exits his own vehicle, rounding the front of Pearl’s car so he can get his arm around Pearl’s waist. Ryu has scoffed at them for being so unbearable together but Bernie hardly cares, tucking his nose in the crook of Pearl’s neck just because he can.

“Idiot, people are coming.” Pearl flicks him on the forehead, but not hard enough to hurt. “The cute guy with the red hair is here. Hell yeah.”

“What? Cute guy? Red hair?” Bernie lifts his head, startled to see people seeming to materialize from between the rusted structures of the Nameless Street.

It takes him a few minutes to pick the head of hair out of the crowd but not once the man steps forward to the front of the group, a jacket hanging off of his lean shoulders somewhere in the neighborhood of green and brown. The entire color scheme of the Rude Boys seem to lean toward swampy colors and Bernie tries not to wrinkle his nose too much because he knows he and his have more access to money and resources and they can buy whatever they want.

Red looks them both over, an expression of distaste on his otherwise pretty face. “What are you two doing here? Aren’t you the Mighty Warriors?”

“Yeah, that’s us.” Pearl flashes him a peace sign and Bernie rolls his eyes, unsurprised. “We brought you some shit courtesy of our gang.”

“Brought us what, exactly?” Red tilts his chin up, his eyes narrowing at them.

Bernie blows a breath out and tries for a smile, not that Red’s expression softens toward them at all. “Clothes,” he says, pressing his fingers into Pearl’s waist. “Since winter is coming and we know you guys probably have trouble staying warm. We brought coats and stuff.”

“Why?” Red’s tone is clipped and Bernie tries not to sigh at him.

Pearl, ever the more optimistic of the two of them, continues on as if Red isn’t giving them a  _ fuck off _ vibe right now. “Because you guys need them? And we could get them. If you wanna go through the boxes yourself, you can. They’re for you guys anyway. We don’t need them.”

“Excuse us for doubting your motives,” a voice calls out and Bernie leans up on his toes to see someone else coming to the front of the group, another handsome man with an equally grumpy face, his dark blond hair styled up and away from his face, the sides of his head shaved so Bernie can see the color is naturally meant to be much darker. “But we don’t exactly have a warm or fuzzy relationship with one another.”

Bernie takes a step forward, offering his free hand. “You’re right, but this alliance is going on with or without us. I’m Bernie, and this is Pearl. Let’s be good friends.”

Blond looks him up and down almost dismissively before heaving a sigh and taking Bernie’s hand in his own like the very prospect of this is killing him. “Takeshi. This is Pi.”

“Nice to meet you both.” Pearl offers his hand as well, whistling when Pi gives him a quick, rough shake. “Wow, you got some muscles on you. I’m impressed, really.”

“You said something about clothes,” Takeshi says quickly, looking between them.

Bernie tries not to be a grump in return, walking Takeshi around to the passenger door of his car, swinging it open to reveal the boxes crammed inside. He pretends to check his phone while Takeshi goes through the first box, ignoring the small noise of surprise he hears and trying not to smile outwardly about it. No reason to be an asshole when he and his have made themselves a thorn in the sides of these people. Of course they would never trust them.

Takeshi waves more people over to the car and Bernie stands aside while the boxes are loaded into the arms of the other Rude Boys, carried down the street proper, mostly out of sight. Pearl looks just as relaxed, perched on the hood of his car, his phone in his hand as well. They have the same idea, great minds thinking alike and syncing as it were.

No one knows Bernie better than Pearl, and vice versa.

“Sorry we gave you such a frosty welcome,” Takeshi eventually says, though he doesn’t sound happy about it. “Smokey made this choice of his own volition because he thinks it’s the right thing to do, but the rest of us are still a bit unconvinced. This is a kindness, what you’re doing.”

Bernie shrugs. “Ice grew up poor. I’m sure he was really worried about you guys. Just because Smokey’s getting better doesn’t mean any of us want to take any chances.”

“I should thank you for that, too. Smokey wouldn’t admit it but Cobra told me himself that Ice fronted a lot of the money to pay for the treatment. I’m sure it’s an act of atonement, but… It’s still a kind act.” Takeshi shoves his hands into his pockets and Bernie wonders if anyone has ever been kind to the Rude Boys in any serious way, or if this is a first for them and that’s why Takeshi is having so much trouble with this.

“Well, it’s the right thing to do. Just so you know, it was never personal. We were paid for our work.” Bernie pockets his phone, knowing the explanation might not make things better, but he might as well be honest. “You could have been anyone, and we’d have done it.”

Takeshi raises an eyebrow at him. “That’s very… Pragmatic of you, I suppose.”

“This is your family, right?” Bernie thumbs over his shoulder at the Rude Boys. “Mighty Warriors are our family. We do what we have to do, and maybe our methods are unsavory, but they are our own. We do what we’re asked to do if the pay is good enough.”

Pearl slides over the hood of his car, hand snapping shut around Bernie’s wrist. “Bern, I’m thinking these two are the ones Ice mentioned that, like, watch over everything when Smokey isn’t here. Maybe we oughta do something special for them, y’know?”

Takeshi throws his hands up. “That’s not necessary, we’re both—”

“Is Smokey here?” Bernie asks sweetly, and Takeshi can’t disguise his expression fast enough to hide from Bernie. His specialty might be computers, but Bernie can pick about human faces just as well when it comes right down to it. “Thought so. How about we grab some food?”

“That’s not necessary,” Pi says immediately, and when he shifts, the wind blows his jacket open.

The noise that leaves Bernie’s throat can best be described as strangled, pathetic, and gay. With the sunlight beaming down on them directly, no clouds in the sky, and the coat gaping open, there is nothing to disguise the beautiful torso on Pi, the intricately defined muscles beneath his pale skin, abs for days that Bernie wants to run his fingers over, trace the dips and curves, feel the muscle beneath his palm. Men of all shapes and sizes get Bernie going, and muscles are no exception; he’d almost swooned when he’d hung himself off of Pho’s bicep only to discover Pho could just him like that like he weighed nothing.

Pi yanks his jacket shut, his face burning. “Shut the fuck up,” he says, and Bernie blinks at him, the acidic tone throwing him off. “There’s nothing wrong with my body.”

Bernie opens his mouth and closes it a few times. “What are you talking about?”

“Man, I guarantee you he didn’t even see. He was checking out those sweet abs of yours. Bern likes muscles.” Pearl throws his hands up when Pi scowls at him. “Yeah, okay,  _ I  _ saw, but you show me yours and I’ll show you mine, it’s only fair.”

Pearl tugs up the front of the baggy jersey he’d thrown on before leaving the house and Bernie tries hard not to stare or drool at the sight of Pearl’s toned stomach. Vaguely he wonders why Pi would care for his body to be shown off when he obviously works so hard on it, or why he would think Bernie would have a problem with it— And then Pearl pulls his shirt up the rest of the way, revealing the twin scars beneath his pectoral muscles.

Bernie drove him to the hospital for that surgery, then drove him home and spent the next few weeks doing as much for Pearl as he could. Everyone in Mighty Warriors had, banding together to help one of their own just like they did for Ice, and later Jesse. He remembers how angry those scars had looked when they were fresh, how Pearl reassured him that there was no gain with no pain, but Bernie was overbearing when he was worried.

Pi presses his lips together, his dark eyes meeting Bernie’s gaze. “You didn’t see?”

“Do you have surgery scars?” Bernie keeps his voice low, not wanting to raise a fuss or give Pi the wrong idea. “I didn’t notice. I really was just looking at your stomach, which is  _ great,  _ by the way. You must do a million sit-ups to be looking that good.”

“All right.” Pi lets the coat go and now Bernie can see the scars, darker than Pi’s skin, not that different to Pearl’s. “...Sorry, I guess, for jumping the gun like that.”

Bernie throws his hands up this time. “No problem! If you think I’m doing something that makes you uncomfortable like that, feel free to jump down my throat. Ryu-san taught me patiently that I won’t learn anything if I’m not spoken to with frank honesty. If I upset you, then you can tell me and I won’t get mad at you. Pearl would hit me if I did.”

Pearl grins, making a circle with his thumb and finger, letting his jersey fall back into place. “Hell yeah I would. We don’t deal with trash like that in Mighty Warriors.”

“That’s reassuring.” Takeshi looks between them slowly then takes a step toward Pi, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “In more ways than one. We have more than one trans person in the Rude Boys, so the lack of discrimination is a comfort.”

Bernie bounces on the balls of his feet. “We’re glad to make you feel better! Now, why don’t you let us take you out for something to eat? It doesn’t have to be expensive if that makes you feel uncomfortable, we can just grab some food at a cart or something.”

He watches Takeshi and Pi look at each other, little inclines of their heads speaking more than words likely ever could. “Fine,” Takeshi finally says. “A food cart sounds nice.”

“I love greasy cheap food, actually, so that works for me, too.” Pearl slings an arm around Pi’s shoulders, ignoring the way Takeshi frowns at him when he hauls Pi up against his side and away from Takeshi’s. “You can ride in my car, babe. Trans solidarity and whatnot.”

“Looks like you’re with me, Ta-ke-shi.” Bernie catches Takeshi by the shoulder, dragging him toward his own car. “They can have their fun and we’ll talk about them behind their backs.”

Pearl sticks his tongue out at him. “Jealous.”

“Maybe,” Bernie purrs, winking at him.

Takeshi is stiff inside of his car but Bernie just leans across him to buckle him in properly, letting himself linger close for just a moment, pretending to fumble with the belt. Takeshi has a cute nose, gorgeous lips, and moles that dot his face; Bernie wonders if Pi has ever traced them, playing tic tac toe with the tips of his fingers. He sure would, given the opportunity. Then he leans back into the driver’s seat, buckles himself in, and starts the engine. Pearl is backed out and moving before him so Bernie aims to catch up, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the rhythmic beat that starts up in his head.

He doesn’t expect Takeshi to speak, surprised when he does. “You’re not trans, right?”

“Right. I’m the token cis boy in this relationship.” Ryu-san’s joking phrase rolls off of Bernie’s tongue without any malice; only an idiot would be upset to hear a fact stated. “This relationship being, like, Mighty Warriors. It’s complicated but you’ll figure it out if you spend time around us.”

“Understandable. I just… He looks happy, your Pearl.” Takeshi tugs at the sleeves of his jacket and Bernie notices how frayed they are, sincerely hoping Takeshi helps himself to one of the coats they brought. If he doesn’t… Bernie will just buy him one. “Pi’s kinda, y’know, quiet about things. He suffered in silence for a while for the better of our family.”

Bernie hums in understanding; Pearl told him a few stories about how much Jesse put himself through in an effort to get Ice to where he wanted to be first, determined to give Ice  _ something _ when he spent his life with nothing. Jesse told him more when he asked about it, that he’d dealt with a lot of self-hatred and self-doubt because making Ice smile was more important to him, giving what he could to someone he loved with all his heart. The sentiment is there, he thinks, even though he’s hardly ever had to suffer for the others like that.

“If he ever needs anything, y’know. Like I know he’s had the surgery on his chest, but if there’s anything else he ever needs, like. Certain clothes, if he needs testosterone, anything. You can call us.” Bernie glances at Takeshi out of the corner of his eye. “If  _ any _ of you do, you can call us. But if you think he’s suffering, let us know. We’ll come up with whatever you need from us.”

Takeshi exhales slowly. “Why are you doing all of this for us?”

“Long story short, Ice wants this alliance, and Cobra made a point when he talked about how Kuryu would scrap us if we got in the way.” The mere thought makes Bernie’s hands sink into the plush padding of his steering wheel. “I’m not ready to lose my family like that.”

“Ah.” Takeshi smiles, his eyes fluttering shut. “Now, that is something I can understand.”

Bernie stretches out a hand to squeeze Takeshi’s knee, pretending like he isn’t watching for his reaction, like he isn’t pleased when Takeshi just relaxes into the touch. “I think it can be hard, sometimes, seeing someone you love suffer when there’s so little you can do. Like, you can use all the right words, all the reassuring phrases, and it doesn’t  _ fix _ things sometimes.” Bernie wets his lips, remembering how many nights he spent clinging to Pearl, to Jesse, to Ice, to Ryu. He thinks about Diddy and Dixie, who lean on each other so much but need to lean on the rest of them, too. “So, like, don’t die inside because you can’t do everything for him. Just if he needs something we can buy, hit us up. If  _ you _ need to talk, you can hit me up.”

“It can be hard. I just want him to be happy. I want him to be who he wants to be, how he wants to be.” Takeshi’s hand comes to rest on top of Bernie’s. “Thank you, Bernie. It means a lot.”

They eat together at a food cart on a street corner, sitting on the hoods of their cars, and Bernie doesn’t know what went down in the car between Pearl and Pi but grumpy boy has a smile on his face and that’s really all that matters. Bernie waves away anyone else’s attempts to pay for the food, slapping bills down in the owner’s hand himself, proud he can do something as small as this. He doesn’t miss the way Takeshi smiles, very small, just the corners of his mouth.

They drop Takeshi and Pi back off at the Nameless Street and Bernie watches, vaguely jealous, as Pi leans in to press a kiss to the corner of Pearl’s mouth, though the sight does do something real for him. He’s distracted enough he doesn’t realize Takeshi is any closer to him than normal until those soft-looking lips press against his cheek, startling a small noise out of him.

“Don’t make strangers of yourselves, if we’re meant to be one big family now,” Takeshi tells him.

“Hell no.” Bernie shoves himself off of where he’s leaning against his car. “Come  _ here. _ ”

He takes Takeshi’s face in both of his hands, can’t resist kissing the mole on his nose before he leans down to kiss him properly. He tastes like tempura but it’s so worth it for the lips alone, so soft and warm, slightly chapped but the way he hesitates for only a moment before kissing back is amazing. Bernie gives his all in the kiss, thumb brushing over Takeshi’s cheekbone, and thinks he might have to trace those moles for himself one day. If Takeshi will let him.

“You just kiss whoever you want, huh?” Pi asks when Bernie leans back, pleased with himself.

The question has Bernie slanting him a look. “Why? Jealous? I’ll kiss you, too.”

Pi looks conflicted, and then he’s suddenly in Bernie’s face, mashing their lips together.

Bernie remembers being told by all of his partners that he wouldn’t understand what some of the rejection they faced was like when he was still learning. That being turned down because someone decided you weren’t  _ enough _ of what you said you were, that your body wasn’t right, that you were just faking for attention— Bernie would never understand those things and it’s true. He wonders if Pi might have suffered before Takeshi, his eyes squeezed shut so tight, his lips refusing to move. Like he expects Bernie to push him away.

As if. Bernie winds a hand in all that soft red hair and lets his eyes flutter closed, moving his lips against Pi’s as slowly and gently as he can but with no less passion, no less care. When Pi’s mouth softens against his own he goes in for the kill, hand slipping beneath Pi’s coat, fingers brushing over his abs, just as satisfying as Bernie thought it would be. If Pi moans softly and sweetly against his lips, then he keeps it to himself. No need to embarrass him.

He breaks the kiss just in time to see Pearl leaning against the side of his own car, one hand wrapped around the back of Takeshi’s neck to keep him where he wants him. Pi makes a little noise at the sight, but not a bad noise. And when Pearl is done with Takeshi he yanks Pi over for a kiss as well. Bernie never gets tired of seeing Pearl kiss other men, seeing other men treat him with as much care and consideration as Bernie does, as he  _ deserves. _

“We won’t be strangers,” Bernie reassures Takeshi, ruffling his hair. “Take care, babe.”

They might have left a better impression this time than they did the first time at least.


End file.
